Vehicle body heating and ventilating

ABSTRACT

A passenger vehicle having ducts formed within a roof between the latter and a lining, so that the vehicle will be ventilated and means are provided to deliver air above the windshield to be demisted and defrosted.

United States Patent McHugh et al. [451 July 11, 1972 [54] VEHICLE BODYHEATING AND [56] References Cited 'I'IL TIN VEN A G UNITED STATESPATENTS [72] Inventors: John Mel-[ugh Gorsey Lane Farm, Mawdsley,Lancashi re; Gerald Fowler, 5 Marsden Close, Eccleston, Lancashire, bothof 2'17L622 9/1939 England 2,476,295 7/1949 2,696.55 l2/I954 [22] Filed:July 3, I968 3,008,694 1 [H961 2| Appl. No.: 142,275 3337545 PrimaryExaminerMeycr Perlin [30] Fonign Appli Pri ri y DIN Attorney-Watson,Cole, Grindle & Watson July 5, I967 Great Britain.... ..30,98l/67 July5, 1967 Great Britain ..30,982/67 [57] ABSTRACT A passenger vehiclehaving ducts formed within a roof U.S. between the lane and a so that[he vchicle be yen- [5 l] Int. Cl ..B60h 1/24 mated and means areprovided to deliver i above h [58] Field of Search ..98/2.07, windshieldto be demismd and defmsm lClahnJDrawingFigures P'ATENTEUJUL 1 1 I972SHEET 10F 2 INVENIORS JOHN MCHUGH GERALD FOWLER W z,

ATTORNEYS PKTENTEDJuu 1 1912 SHEET 2 OF 2 TNVENTOIE JOHN Mc HJGH GERALDFO' uE ATTORNEYS VEHICLE BODY HEATING AND VENTILATING The inventionrelates to coach heating and ventilation in passenger vehicles and tothe use of warm air to demist or defrost vehicle windscreens. It will bedescribed in its application to the ventilating, demisting, and heatingof an omnibus or motor coach body but is equally applicable to otherpassenger vehicles such as railway coaches.

In accordance with the invention air is distributed to the passengercompartments of a vehicle by way of overhead ducting fonned within adouble roof between the roof and its lining. Such a system eliminatesthe problems usually encoun tered in the distribution of air by ducts atfloor level or in the use of separate heat exchangers at various floorpositions, due to door openings, wheel arches and so on.

Arising out of the first aspect of the invention it is proposed inaccordance with a second aspect that a vehicle windscreen should bedemisted and defrosted by means of air delivered from louvres positionedabove the screen.

In order that the invention may be better understood, a system inaccordance with it for distributing heating and ventilating air in amotor coach body and for demisting and defrosting by an overhead ductsystem will be described. by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

H6. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the front of the vehi cle; and

FIG. 3 is a section showing how the air made available in the ductformed in the double roof of the vehicle is directed onto thewindscreen.

The vehicle shown in the drawings has a rear mounted engine with whichis associated an integrated air conditioning and engine cooling unitwhich is electronically controlled in response to the measured airtemperature within the saloon and the measured engine coolanttemperature.

There is an intake for fresh air at the rear end of the roof l2 andspent air withdrawn from the saloon is exhausted by way of an externalvent at 14.

The integrated unit functions to withdraw spent air from the saloon, toadmix a regulated proportion of the withdrawn air with fresh air takenin by the intake 10 and to deliver the mixture at the requiredtemperature to the saloon 16.

The greater part of the air distribution is effected by way of ductsformed in the double roof 12 of the vehicle between the outer skin andits lining. One roofstick is shown at 18, with the other roofsticks itis used to support a longitudinal partition 20 between a central heatedair duct 22, the course of which is indicated by broken lines and thesolid filled arrows, and the offside extractor duct 24, for airwithdrawn from the soloon through overhead grills 26, the path of thespent air in the duct 24 being indicated by the diamond hatched arrows.

From the overhead duct 22 heated air is delivered by descending ducts at28 and 30 to the screens or windows in the two doorways 32 and 34 and isalso ducted under the rear seat at 36.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show how advantage can be taken of overhead ducting forthe distribution of heated air to the passenger compartment of a vehicleto eliminate the separate hoses, clips, brackets and piping normallyrequired when a vehicle windscreen is to be demisted or defrosted byconventional nozzles or slotted ducts along the base of the windscreen.

FIG. 3 shows how air made available in the central heated air duct 22formed in the double roof 12 of the vehicle between an outer skin roofpanel 40 and the lining 42 is directed and controlled by adjustableiouvers 44 in a nozzle 46 onto the windscreen 48.

We claim:

1. A passenger vehicle having a double roof construction defined by anouter skin of the vehicle and a parallel lining spaced inwardlytherefrom, ducts within the space defined by said skin and said lining,said ducts being defined by a longitudinal partition extending betweenand in contact with said skin and said lining, and said ducts togetherextending under the entire length and width of sald roof for thedistribution of air for ventilation of a passenger compartment belowsaid double roof of the vehicle, grill means being provided in saidlining for admitting spent air from said compartment into one of saidducts, and intake means being provided in said roof for admittingoutside air and intermixing it with the spent air within said one ductand for directing it into the other one of said ducts, and means in saidlining for directing the intermixed air into said passenger compartmentand on to the windshield and door means thereof.

1. A passenger vehicle having a double roof construction defined by anouter skin of the vehicle and a parallel lining spaced inwardlytherefrom, ducts within the space defined by said skin and said lining,said ducts being defined by a longitudinal partition extending betweenand in contact with said skin and said lining, and said ducts togetherextending under the entire length and width of said roof for thedistribution of air for ventilation of a passenger compartment belowsaid double roof of the vehicle, grill means being provided in saidlining for admitting spent air from said compartment into one of saidducts, and intake means being provided in said roof for admittingoutside air and intermixing it with the spent air within said one ductand for directing it into the other one of said ducts, and means in saidlining for directing the intermixed air into said passenger compartmentand on to the windshield and door means thereof.